Threadless nut and bolt



CROSS REFERENCE Dec. 5, 1944. 2,364,288

' H. P. HAGGERTY THREADLESS'NUT AND BOLT Filed NOV. 17, 1943 1 a 5 5 a; 2 .z y 1 a m a y A Z .2 mfi waw 4 1 2 WWW H WW 2 I /H Wl Q5. 8 n z PatentedDee.5,1944

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,864,288 'rnansntnss NUT sun noL'r Harold P. Haggerty, Ferndale, Mich.

Application November 17, 1943, Serial No.'510,815

Claims.

The present invention relates to threadless nut and bolt constructions, and particularly to the type of fastening adapted for temporarily holding or clamping the members in position.

It is the general object oi. the present invention to provide an improved and simplified threadless nut and bolt construction which is adapted to clamp members of varying thickness and which requires a minimum of time and effort to .secure in clamping position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character mentioned which may btgolzppiied or removed without the use of any Other obiects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following speciiic'ation. the drawingrelating thereto, and from the appended claims. a

In the drawing, in which like numerals are tied to designate like parts in the several views throughout:

Figure l is a longitudinal section of the device of the present invention taken-on the lin l-l oi Figure 2:

Flgure2isaplanviewtakenontheline2-2 ct Figure 1:

Figure 8 is a side elevation of the device: and

Figure 4 is a plan view of the latching element incorporated in the device.

As best shown in Figure 1, the invention comprises a bolt, indicated generally at I I, having a shank Wand a head i2. of any suitable or conventional construction except that the shank is not threaded. In place of threads, the shank is provided with any desired number of annular grooves i3 spaced along its length, which are adapted to be engaged by a latching device hereinafter more particularly described.

The nut comprises a generally cup-shaped housing member I! having a bottom wall It adapted to bear against the member which is to be clamped and having an opening i1 through whichvthe shank ll of the bolt is adapted to pass freely. Seated within the cup-shaped housin I I is a substantially cylindrical sleeve l8 having a central bore ll through which the shank i I of the bolt may pass freely.

The upper end of the member is is provided with a recess 20, of the form best shown in Figure 2, and the parallel straight side wall portions of the recess 20 are undercut to provide a pair of transversely extending grooves 2|, best shown in Figure 3. A latching element 22, the form of which is best illustrated in Figures 1 and 4, is adapted to slide within the grooves 2| and to fit one 01' the grooves it in the shank ll of the bolt, in the manner shown in Figure 1. The extremity of the latching member 22 is recessed at 24 to iit that portion of the bolt forming the bottom of the groove I3.

As best shown in Figures 1 and 2, the side of the cylindrical member it through which the latching member 22 projects is flattened of! at 25 in order to provide a clearance space 28 between the cylindrical member is and the housing it at that point. A leaf spring 21 is positioned within the clearance space 2' and secured at its opening in the member It. The upper end of the leaf spring 21 engages an upstanding lug 8! on the latching member 22 and normally acts to force the latching member toward the shank of the bolt. The cylindrical handle member 2| proiects outwardly through a helic'ally arranged slot 3!. formed in the housing II, as best shown in Figure 3. The helix :angle of the slot 3| is such that no amount of axial force exerted between the housing I! and the handle 22 will cause relative rotation of the two about the axis of the bolt.

The end of the shank ll of the bolt is provided with a rounded and tapered nose 12 of such contour that when the bolt is forced upwardly I through housing It and member is it will engage the spring-pressed latch 22 and force it outwardly or to the right, as viewed in Figure 1, permitting the bolt to advance to the position illustrated, in which the spring forces the latch into the groove 13. As soon as the latch has entered a groove in the bolt, the-handle 28 is swung in slot ll relative to the housing I I in order to develop the desired clamping action between the housing II and the bolt head l2.

It is apparent that any number of grooves l8 may be provided along the shank of the bolt in order to permit the nut assembly to be shifted to approximately its iinai position before the clamping rotation of the handle 28 and slot 3| is started. The space between the grooves. i3 is preferably slightly less than the axial displacement of housing I 5 when the handle 28 shifts from one end of the slot 3| to the other, so that the nut may be shifted to the next lower groove if the clamping movement of the handle 28, as

- limited by slot ii, is insuiiicient to produce sum- When it is desired to release the nut, the han die It is swung to the left in roove II, as viewed in Figure 3, to loosen the clamping pressure, whereupon the upper projection 30 on latch 22 may be engaged by the tip of the finger or fingernail and the latch withdrawn from the groove l3. The nut may then be lifted off the bolt.

While only one form of the mechanism is illustrated and described, it is apparent that changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth herein and within the scope oi the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A threadless nut and bolt assembly comprising a bolt having an annular groove formed in the shank thereof in spaced relation to the head of the bolt, and a nut mechanism comprising a cylindrical sleeve slidable on the shank of the bolt, a housing surrounding said sleeve, cam means for shifting said housing axially with respect to the sleeve on relative rotation between said sleeve and housing, and latch means carried by said sleeve and adapted to enter said groove to lock said sleeve in predetermined axial position on the shank of said bolt.

2. A threadless nut and bolt assembly comprising a bolt having an annular groove formed in the shank thereof in spaced relation to the'head' of the bolt, and a nut mechanism-comprising a cylindrical sleeve slidable on the shank of the bolt, a housing surrounding said sleeve, cam means for shifting saidhousing axially with respect to the sleeve on relative rotation between said sleeve and housing, latch means carried by said sleeve and adapted to enter said groove, and resilient means normally urging said latch means into said groove to lock said sleeve in predetermined axial position on the shank of said bolt.

3. A threadless nut and bolt assembly comprising a bolt having an annulargroove formed in the shank thereof in spaced relation to the head or the bolt, and a nut mechanism comprising a cylindrical sleeve slidable on the'shank oi the bolt, a housing surrounding said sleeve, said housass-sass ing having a helical slot ,therethrough, means fixed to said sleeve and extending radially through said slot for exerting an axial clamping force between said sleeve and housing to eiiect axial shifting of said housing relative to said sleeve, and latch means carried by said sleeve and adapted to enter said groove to lock said sleeve in predetermined axial position on the shank of said bolt.

4. A threadless nut and bolt assembly comprls ing a bolt having an annular groove formed in the shank thereof in spaced relation to the head of the bolt, and a nut mechanism comprising a cylindrical sleeve slidable on the shank of the bolt, a housing surrounding said sleeve, said housing having a helical slot therethrough, means fixed to said sleeve and extending radially through said slot for exerting an axial clamping force between said sleeve and housing to eiiect axial shifting of said housing relative to said sleeve, latch means carried by said sleeve and adapted to enter said groove, and resilient means normally urging said latch means into said groove to lock said sleeve in predetermined axial-position on the shank of said bolt.

5. A threadless nut and bolt assembly comprising a bolt having an annular groove formed in the shank thereof in spaced, relation to the head of the bolt, and a nut mechanism comprising a cylindrical sleeve 'siidable on 'the'shank of the bolt, a housing surrounding said sleeve. said housing having a helical slot therethrough, an arm extending radially through the helical slot and having a reduced threadedextension threaded-into said sleeve, vsaid arm and slot be; ing adapted to effect axial shifting of said'housing relative to said sleeve, a latch carried by said sleeve and movableiradially into said groove.

and a leai. spring having one end clamped between said arm and the sleeve and the opposite end-bearing on' the latch for urging it in the direction in which it enters said groove tolock said sleeve in predetermined axial pofltion' on the shank of said bolt.

HAROLD P. HAGGERTY. 

